Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-01


have to keep up close and use their best eye
sight in order to keep track of the skimming
yachts. The wind being from the east deter
mined the course. 1t was twenty miles to
windward and lay out toSea
At 10;42 the starting gun was fired, and
both yachts went over the line at a terrific
clip The Thistle was to windward but the
zig white sloop from Boston was in the lead
They were carrying mainsail, foreStaysail
lb and working topsals As they dashed off
into the northeast no one could say which
was getting the better OF it, They each
seemed to I've flying with the speed of the
wind and it was all that some of the SteaIn-
hasts could do to keep the scudiing yachts in
sight The Volunteer was leaning slightly
more than the Scotchman, but each was
heeied good deal The wind was blowing
twenty miles an hour, and it gave signs of
holding out and even of freshening The Vol
unteer hung to the wind like a part of it.
She was sailing in its very teeth, and her
long bowsprit pointed perceprihly better
than that of her rival. Just behind
and still to windward the Thistle was cut
ting the water like a knife, and so we'll were
both yachts sailing, and slight the dis
lance between them that the betting was
about even The course of the racers was al
most parallel with the southern coast of Long
island and they made such brilliant running
that the fleet of excursion boats were soon
left far in the rear Slowly but surely the
Volunteer drew away from her rival, and as
they passed Rockaway the white sloop had
lead OF at least half mile and she had gaiued
it chiefly through her ability to point closer
TO the wind than the cutter
AT 2:;i0 the Volunteer turned the stake boat
on the port tack amid deafening screams from
fifty vessels standing off Jones inlet The
Thistle at this time was about a mile off the
stake boat on her starboad tack Seventeen
minutes later she turned the boat, and wa
greeted as the Volunteer had been When the
Volunteer turned she Immediately caught the
wind and went flying ahead. Unmistakea-
bly, she was increasing her lead At {; o'clock
the yachts were directly opposite the Long
Beach hotel They We're both carrying spin
maker, balloon jib-topsail, and club-topsail,
and were flying before the wind with the
Volunteer two miles in the lead, and at
42}:47 she crossed the line winner
The steamboats, and excursionists waited
and watched for the Scotch boat She looked
as pretty and brave as she ever did, hut that
was all. She crossed the tinisii-ine eleven
minutes behind the Volunteer She, too. got
cheers and toots of whistles, because she had
tried and tried bravely Mr. Bell and Capt
Barr were now convinced that Designer Wat
son would have to get ideas on yacht build
ing from somewhere else than the Clyde The
Thistle had been beaten in light winds and in
strong ones, too. Friday settled conclusively
the question of superiority. The race had
been on the wind all the time, and the Thistle
had been clearly outsaled According to the
corrected time the Volunteer went over the
course in 5:92:56A, and the Thistle in 5:54:45,
a difference in favor of the Volunteer of
IL 4S$4.
In the windward work the Volunteer beat
the Thistle IA minutes, 49, seconds. On the
run before the wind the Tbistle beat the Vol
unteeI minutes, 541a seconds
After the race Mr. Bell admitted that the
Volunteer, with her center board, had fairly
beaten the Thistle in thrashing to wind ward.
He insisted, however, that the courses laid
out by the Americas cup committee were
unfair He said that he fu lily expected tc
win the inside race, and the triangular, OF
third race, because he had no doubt
the Thistle could easily beat the
sloop in running and reaching. Mr..
Bell added that the Thistle was for sale for
$50 and that if purse were offered
for another race she would be entered. He
had nothing to say about the foul condition
of the bottom of the Thistle, and Designer g.
l., Watson and Capt. Barr both admitted
that the Thistle had been beaten in wind
ward work, and that the center-board had
largely helped to do it. Mr.. Bell, cores
pondent of The Glasgow Herald, says that a
challenge for the cup will surely come next
year.